Thursday May 14, 2009
By LIM CHIA YING
Photos by LIM CHIA YING and courtesy of DR AHMAD ISMAIL
THREE Vietnamese poachers are still waiting for their court mention after they were nabbed last month for stealing the eggs and chicks of the black-crowned night heron.
The next mention has been set for May 18 after it was postponed from an earlier date due to the unavailability of an interpreter.
They were originally supposed to be charged at the Selayang magistrate court on April 22 but that was deferred to the second date, and now, to next Monday.
Fragile: Some of the heron chicks waiting for food in the nests. The three have since been remanded by the court at the Sungai Buloh prison.
The Selangor Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) had set up an 'ambush' for the poachers after being tipped off by the local residents about suspicious people going in to steal the eggs and chicks of the night heron, a totally protected wild bird under the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972 (Act 76).
According to Selangor Perhilitan law and investigation unit head Ab Jalal Kasim, they are pressing for charges relating to cruelty to animals, possessing immature birds (chicks) and also eggs against the poachers.
Seized together with the poachers were a load of eggs with a light-green hue and several chicks, a few of which were still alive.
Ab Jalal also took StarMetro on a trip to the site to show where the birds had made a nest in Taman Garing, Rawang, on an empty plot of grassland. Half of the plot belong to Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and the other part is believed to belong to a cement company.
Another nest seen here, occupied by the eggs of the heron bird. Also present during the visit were several Perhilitan officers and Associate Professor Dr Ahmad Ismail of the Universiti Putra Malaysia's Biology Department.
The flock of birds, with their black crowns and white or grey bodies, was a sight to behold, and the adults could be seen dipping themselves in the waters or just quietlyt resting. Apparently, the birds only venture out at night to find food.
There were also cattle egrets (another totally protected wild bird) seen in the colony and these were identifiable by their distinctive stocky white bodies.
Ab Jalal said the herons were previously roosting and making their home at Tasik Puteri in Rawang before disturbances in the area caused the flock to migrate to its present location.
"The birds are like nomads now, migrating from one place to another. Even this current spot is not suitable for them as they may just decide to move elsewhere if there are frequent human disturbances," he said.
Under the hot morning sun where the herons were taking their rest, we quietly tiptoed into the grassy area shielded by tall grass and trees to have a closer look at the young of the herons.
The nest was nestled atop a tree branch carrying two chicks, who looked hungry with their mouths wide open and waiting to be fed by their mothers.
Taking flight: The group of egrets taking off from the nesting site at Taman Garing Rawang. Dr Ahmad is of the opinion that there has to be a permanent, well-managed habitat for the birds since they keep moving.
"While we are hoping this land can be given consideration to be made a temporary shelter and sanctuary for the birds, however, it is important that potential sites like Paya Indah Wetlands can be looked into.
"It's definitely vital to promote education and conservation of these herons as they can be an ecotourism attraction for visitors," he said.
The department was also lucky to also receive some help from a local resident whom they dub their hero. M.Sadasivam has been helping tip the department off whenever he notices suspicious characters trying to prey the birds.
"My view is that these birds are not humans' food. This is why I feel the need to help protect the birds and do something, especially since I'm a resident here," the 53-year-old cow herd said.
He takes his dozen or so of cows to graze at the patches of grass along the stretch of land every day for a couple of hours, and while waiting, he keeps a lookout for culprits.
"I've also heard people shooting the birds while they are flying. I heard that the people prefer the herons as their meat tastes better than the egrets.
Civic-conscious: Ab Jalal (left) and Dr Ahmad (right) discussing the issue with Sadasivam. "The last time, the birds numbered even more but their population has dwindled. It's sad and unfortunate, so I do my part by alerting the authorities whenever I see something amiss," said Sadasivam.
During the visit, Ab Jalal and his team saw the birds flying out unusually, en masse. Suspicious, they quickly went into the forested area to check out possible disturbances, since the birds would flutter off startlingly if there was any encroachment.
Half an hour later, the officers returned saying that the interloper had been a monitor lizard out looking for food.
"If the encroacher is an animal, then we just leave things as they are because it is the natural cycle of things and we will not interfere with that. However, it's a different story altogether if humans are the hunters," Ab Jalal said.
He added that he had also recently caught two locals who were illegally trading in the Goffin Cockatoo online.
"We actually set a trap for them and one of my officers pretended to be an interested buyer.
"The two persons were caught red-handed and we will continue to monitor such illegal activities closely.
"The supplier is believed to have smuggled the animals in from neighbouring countries and, although we did not manage to catch the culprit, we are on high alert."
The two locals are currently awaiting their hearing date on May 26 to be heard at the magistrate court in Jalan Duta.
If found guilty, they can be fined RM3,000 or face imprisonment for three years or both.
Meanwhile, if the three Vietnamese poachers caught are found guilty, they will be punished under the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972 (Act 76), under Section 65 (for possessing immature birds or babies), Section 67 (for destroying nests and possessing the eggs), and Section 92 (for cruelty).
Under Section 65, the penalty is RM6,000 or six years imprisonment or both, while Section 67 has a penalty of RM5,000 or five years jail or both, and Section 92 imposes a RM5,000 fine or three years imprisonment or both.
This article was taken from: The Star Online: Metro: Central 14 May 2009
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